This biography of Sam Houston goes beyond the romantic frontier life of the "buckskin hero from Tennessee" to examine seriously his role as an American statesman.

This book is a rhetorical study of the writings of Republic of Texas presidents Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar which analyzes the frames applied in the writings of the two leaders to define Native Americans. Presenting their individual writings as a dialogue and an argument, it considers the points at which Houston and Lamar’s rhetorical depictions overlapped and diverged, and explores the range and overall social impact of each president’s portrayal of Native Americans. It prompts readers to consider the implications of such rhetorical framing both historically and through the modern day in application to a wide array of social groups.

This is a lively effort to pierce the thick fog of Falsehood, calumny, ignorance, and legend surrounding the four years Sam Houston spent among the Cherokees in what is now northeastern Oklahoma, the broken years in Tennessee, and his advent in Texas on the eve of the War for Independence.–Virginia Quarterly Review

With engaging text, extensive quotations, and more than 100 striking photographs, this volume captures the world of the iconic Texas Revolutionary. When Sam Houston crossed the Red River for the first time in 1832, he termed Texas the “finest portion of the Globe that has ever blessed my vision.” His diplomatic, military, political, and personal activities took him all over what is now the eastern half of the state—and he fell in love with every foot of it. With panoramic vision and broad descriptive power, he expressed his lasting affection for the country in everything he said and wrote. Having followed the trail of every trip he made in Texas, Sue Flanagan presents the Texas Houston knew—through his picturesque language and her own evocative photographs. The face of Texas east of San Antonio is pictured in all its varied features. With great discernment, Flanagan captures the landscapes, buildings, and objects in the most revealing light and in the best atmospheric conditions. These spots in nature which Houston saw, these objects which he knew, these houses where he was entertained and where he lived—all are tangible reminders of “this colorful, cagey, and controversial man,” this Texas hero whose life was a tragedy in divided loyalties.

Although Sam Houston has been the subject 6f several biographies and· many historical articles, little attention has been paid to his third wife, whose enormous influence on the Liberator of Texas has never before been examined closely. In this first biography of Margaret Lea Houston, a remarkable woman is finally awakened from the historical sleep which has enveloped her for over a century. Alabama-born Margaret Lea was just a schoolgirl when she first saw Sam Houston arrive at New Orleans after the Battle of San Jacinto to have his wounds tended. "She later described having a premonition that she would some day meet Sam Houston," says· William Seale. "But she told that story many years later, after she had become his wife." For marry Sam Houston she did–in the face of strong opposition of family and friends and of Houston's friends and advisers. Twenty-six years younger than her husband, this protected child of a Baptist minister set out to change the life of the frontier hero. Aware that alcoholism and the sorrows of personal misfortune weighed upon him, she battled the former and sought to alleviate the latter. Her abiding faith in him, coupled with his unceasing devotion to her and to their children, is a central theme of this book. The author explores the personality of Margaret, the idealist whose absorption in religion often led her to melancholia, the reader of romances who was never able to come to terms with the Texas wilderness, the wife who strummed her guitar and wrote love poems during her husband's absences on affairs of state. This account of Sam Houston's wife, which presents details of the general's life not hitherto explored, is in addition a colorful picture of the time in which she lived. It is a realistic appraisal of Sam and Margaret Houston, to which the author has brought a fresh and sympathetic understanding. In writing the richly human story, he has made extensive use of unpublished manuscripts and original documents in private hands and public archives.

"From his rise and fall in Tennessee politics and through his many roles in Texas, Haley paints a lively picture of Houston as a sometimes deeply troubled man. While this is not a definitive biography, it is a refreshing, important look at a weighty yet often overlooked figure in American politics."--"Library Journal." Illustrations.

Against the tumultuous backdrop of early Texas history, Williams sketches a vivid portrait of a truly American legend. Map.

Publisher Fact Sheet Third in the series of previously unpublished personal letters, beginning in the fall of 1848 when Houston returns to Washington for the Second Session of the Thirtieth Congress after the close of the Mexican War.

Volume II of Sam Houston?s personal correpondence continues the four-volume series of previously unpublished personal letters to and from Sam Houston. This volume begins March 6, 1846, as Houston leaves Texas to take his place in the U. S. Senate. Included in his letters are comments on national politics and life in Washington, D. C., descriptions of politicians and their wives, and his observations on generals of the Mexican War. New information sheds light on his feelings towards being a candidate for the presidency. Family letters give a picture of life on Texas plantations during the mid-1800s. The letters end August 10, 1848, after problems with Oregon have begun and the Mexican War has ended.

Volume II of Sam Houston's personal correspondence continues the four-volume series of previously unpublished personal letters to and from Sam Houston, covering the time 1846 to 1848. "Writing to people he knew and assuming confidentiality, Houston was unrestrained in his candor in discussing affairs of state and other aspects of his life and career. . . . "--AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN.